As my dog’s 10th birthday was rolling near, I reflected on his life and our time together.  I have had him for 9.5 years, officially my longest relationship.  We have had a lot of amazing adventures together and have lived in three states.  But as I thought about things, I realized there is something Monty has not done that I was sure he would love.  So, to celebrate Monty’s 10th birthday, we headed west so he could see the ocean for the first time ever.

So this past Friday morning at 5am, we headed out on our great adventure.  3026 Miles.  That’s the exact distance of the road trip I took over six days and we traveled through Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.

It was an amazing trip that involved exploring some really cool places like Boise, Craters of the Moon, Twin Falls, Crater Lake, Diamond Lake, Pacific City, Cannon Beach, Bend, Portland, and Salt Lake City. 

My puppers got to swim in the ocean and we camped on the beach for good measure.  I had a great time, and after Monty figured out the ocean was not drinkable, he had a great time too.  It was a wonderful adventure!!

Some things I learned:

• Boise is a pretty cool little city
• Idaho in general is a lot cooler and prettier than I thought
• Oregon gets really cold at night
• Monty WILL cuddle all night… when it’s under 40 degrees and you’re in a summer tent
• The ocean is and always will be a beautiful, magical place
• Cannon Beach is a hidden gem on the Oregon coast – loved it there!
• Portland traffic is rough
• California drivers are hands down the worst on the roads
• Crater Lake and Diamond Lake are stunning
• Oregon is very, very green.  So. Many. Pine trees.
• Monty can’t figure out that salt water is not drinkable
• Nevada doesn’t have enough gas stations
• In that same vein, my car gets amazing mileage – go Matrix!
• The stretch of road between the Nevada/Utah boarder and Salt Lake City is terrifying to drive at night.  Absolutely terrifying.
• Mormons have a lot of money
• Salt Lake City is weird
• There is no place like home ❤

Driving over 3000 miles by myself, camping alone, traveling alone in general… it felt exceptionally good to realize just how much I am capable of.  It was also very emotional seeing Monty run ecstatically down the beach and into the ocean waves.  This pup has been through so much with me, and I am beyond happy that we were able to take this trip together.

Happy Birthday, Montague.